Declaration of the place of residence and work in Lithuania changes

2021-03-02, Valid until

The Migration Department informs that after the entry into force on 1 March 2021 of amendments to the Law of the Republic of Lithuania “On the Legal Status of Aliens”, an alien may choose when to declare residence in Lithuania – in the Migration Department, when applying for a residence permit or in the eldership, already after collecting a residence permit.

If an alien chooses to declare his/her place of residence in the Migration Department by submitting an application for a residence permit:

In this case, the data on the place of residence in Lithuania are indicated when filling in the application for a residence permit, and it is no longer necessary to fill in the declaration of residence separately.

When filling in an application for a temporary residence permit through the Lithuanian Migration System, an alien may attach documents confirming the alien’s right to declare the place of residence in the dwelling. It can be:

– the consent of the owner or co-owner of the dwelling or his/her authorized representative to live in the dwelling owned by the owner (co-owners). The consent of the owner (co-owner) must be certified by a notary or elder. If the application is accompanied by an unconfirmed consent of the owner (co-owner), the owner (co-owner) must arrive at the Migration Department together with the alien at the reserved visit time – in which case the consent of the owner (co-owner) will be confirmed by the employee of the Migration Department accepting the alien’s application;

– a lease or rental agreement with a natural or legal person. It is not necessary to notarize or register the agreement with the SE Centre of Registers;

– a letter issued by the legal person confirming the right to reside in the premises belonging to the legal person, or a document confirming the stay in a hotel or a dormitory provided.

When filling in an application for a permanent residence permit, the alien may attach one of the above-mentioned documents and the commitment to declare the place of residence in a suitable dwelling in the section “Valid travel document” of the documents attached to the application.

If the dwelling belongs to an alien by the right of ownership or a lease or loan agreement concluded with a natural or legal person is registered with the State Enterprise Centre of Registers, documents confirming these circumstances need not be submitted to the Migration Department.

If an alien chooses to declare the place of residence in the eldership after she/she has already collected a residence permit:

when filling in an application for a residence permit, it is possible to submit a commitment to declare the place of residence in a suitable dwelling, and then, after collecting a residence permit from the Migration Department, within 1 month to go to the eldership and declare the place of residence in accordance with the procedure laid down by the director of SE Centre of Registers.

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We remind you that every adult alien seeking a residence permit in Lithuania must prove that his or her living space is at least 7 square meters. Aliens coming for training or studies are required to have a smaller living space – 4 square meters. The residence requirement does not apply to a minor alien, drivers of an international freight transport vehicle, and aliens sent to work temporarily in another Member State of the European Union or the European Free Trade Association.

We draw your attention to the fact that administrative liability may be applied for non-compliance with the requirement to declare residence in Lithuania.

Work in Lithuania

Master’s students are now allowed to work full-time (40 h/week) with no need to get an additional work permit. This means that a non-EU national with a temporary residence permit for studies in Lithuania will be able to join the job market just like the locals.

Another meaningful change will affect non-EU nationals graduating from Lithuanian universities. A student who wants to stay in Lithuania after graduating from his Bachelor’s/Master’s/PhD studies will be able to apply for a temporary residence permit for job search. This permit will allow the student to stay in Lithuania for one year after graduation and start working immediately after finding a job. No additional permits will be required.

Lastly, there are changes in the procedure for declaring the place of residence. Non-EU students who want to receive a temporary residence permit have to declare their place of residence in Lithuania. From January 1, 2021, they can do this at the Migration Department’s office (having booked an appointment in advance), or in an eldership or municipality within 1 month from the date of collection of the issued residence permit. More information is available on the Migration Department website.

More information